Shettima stops birthday greeting adverts to honour B’Haram victims, Mustapha

GOVERNOR Kashim Shettima of Borno State has appealed to his political appointees and associates from the All Progressives Congress (APC), foreign and local contractors to the state government, kinsmen and former colleagues in the banking industry, not to place advertisements to mark his 49th birthday slated for today, September 2, 2015.

The appeal was made in a press statement by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Isa Umar Gusau, and made available to newsmen in Maiduguri.

It reads in part: “The restrictions on placement of adverts in the electronic, print and social media was to respect the memory of too many Borno citizens killed by Boko Haram insurgents in recent and previous attacks as well as the utmost need to honour the late Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha, who died on August 15, 2015. “The governor also solicited for the understanding of media houses that could have anticipated revenue from his 49th birthday with apologies to all expectant media houses, especially those said to have distributed letters soliciting for goodwill adverts.”

Gusau in the statement also said that Shettima chose to send out the appeal on time knowing that associates who may desire to place congratulatory messages for him may want to contact media houses between today and tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday) to target publication by newspapers or airing by broadcast stations on Wednesday, adding that “hence his decision to give enough notice.”

He said the governor had personally called some particular friends and associates whom he suspects were planning to place adverts and has made the appeal to them directly; but felt it was necessary to tell others the governor might not be aware of. Shettima, therefore, appealed to those willing to place adverts to channel the funds to different private organisations in Abuja and Maiduguri currently seeking funds to support multitudes of Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by insurgency attacks in Borno State and other parts of the North-East sub-region of the country.

He expressed profound appreciation to anyone, groups or institutions especially those associated with the APC or Borno State government that might have intended congratulating him on Wednesday.

He also pleaded with them to pray for the return of peace in Borno and all parts of Nigeria and for his administration to succeed in its practical efforts to remodel Borno State for the benefit of its citizens under an atmosphere of freedom from terror attacks and any violent or criminal threats.